Coffin Comics is one of the best kept secrets in the comics community. Coffin Comics was started in 2007 by Brian Pulido who created the Chaos! Comics universe including Lady Death, Evil Ernie, Purgatori, Chastity, Jade, Bad Kitty, Lady Demon as well as licensing and publishing WWE comics in the 90’s. When Chaos ceased publishing Lady Death moved to CrossGen publishing. When CrossGen ceased publishing Lady Death moved to Boundless Comics, a join venture between Brian Pulido and Avatar Press. In 2015 Lady Death reverted to Brian Pulido as the sole owner.
First Comics News: For anyone who doesn’t know, who is Lady Death?
Brian Pulido: Lady Death is a supernatural, sword-wielding anti-hero who battles evil. Originally, she was Hope, a teenaged girl who is deceived by demons and trades her mortality for eternal life in Hell. To ensure her survival, she turns to the darkness within herself and begins a transformation into Lady Death. Part of the 90’s vanguard of “Bad Girl” comics, Lady Death has been published in comic books for two decades, she’s been the star of a 2005 animated feature film and tons of Lady Death products and merchandise have been made to the delight of her fans. As a symbol of fierce independence, Lady Death is tattooed on thousands of bodies across the globe.
1st: Why publish Lady Death at Coffin instead of Boundless?
Brian: Brian: To answer this question completely, I have to go back in time a little bit. Avatar Press / Boundless Comics was a minority owner and had the publishing license for Lady Death from 2004 – 1015.
Certain business and creative promises were put in place to me and not long thereafter, the promises were broken. Several of these promises were critical to the bottom line of my household and my family. I attempted to resolve the matter directly with the publisher over a long period of time, about a year. Ultimately, we could not come to an agreement.
I filed a lawsuit against Avatar Press and Boundless Comics in Arizona in June 2013. Avatar/Boundless launched a countersuit against me personally and against my business in November 2013. We finally reached a settlement on October 8, 2014. While I am not at liberty to discuss the settlement, what I can say is that I am now the sole owner of the intellectual property Lady Death, all of her stories, all characters related to her stories, her logo, Etc.
Boundless was allowed a final story, entitled Lady Death: Apocalypse which completed in 2015. It is critical that I distinguish this for you because Coffin Comic has no association whatsoever with the aforementioned publisher. We want to be judged on our own merits.
With Coffin Comics, I will offer up the same unbridled excitement and enthusiasm that I did during the Chaos! Comics era. This is not a cynical play. I love Lady Death and I love telling supernatural tales fueled by a rock n roll spirit.
If I engendered any good will or fondness during my Chaos! Comics publishing run, please consider my wares today. I will produce comics on a timely basis told with passion and excitement for the form. The work is not for everyone, I know, but to those who do love it, they are very dedicated to it. Our legacy fans. And this is the direct feed to the creator. No middle men. No one to get in the way.
1st: Coffin Comics sells limited editions with print runs as small as 11 copies. How do you determine print run size?
Brian: Largely its based on feel and instinct. I am a life-long comic book collector myself. I trust my instincts to excite our readers and collectors.
1st: I have noticed that Coffin Comics appear to run a Kickstarter and then follow with limited special editions. Is that the publishing strategy?
Brian: Yes. The direct connection with have with our readers and collectors is a dream come true! They are so amazing and have enabled us to do some fun, crazy projects!
1st: This year Coffin Comics began distribution with Diamond. Are all the comics distributed at Diamond previously Kickstarters?
Brian: Not in all cases. For example, we have Lady Death: Zodiac #1
1st: Who is Zack the Zombie Exterminator?
Brian: A year ago, Zombies started rising here and there. We expected the apocalypse. Instead, we got… pests. Let’s face it: the living dead can be a real nuisance. They shamble over your gardens, scare your pets, and sometimes they eat your brains. Don’t let this happen to you. Call Zack the Zombie Exterminator!
Zack Zander is an amiable redneck, metal head with a talent for zombie-splatting. And his whole family wants in on the action. From his dad who fell from rock ‘n’ roll stardom, to his mom who traded in video-vixen stilettos to be a happy homemaker. Even Zack’s crazy brother Zane pitches in, inventing a garage full of weaponry perfect for killing the dead. Together, the Zanders make up Z-Gone, “semi-professional” zombie hunters. And they showcase every second of gory mayhem on YouTube.
Soon Zack’s slapstick antics become a viral video punch line. Only cute, video blogger Haley comes to his defense; everyone else sees Zack as nothing but a joke. Then one fateful job changes everything.
On a routine extermination call, Zack comes face to face with a hulking uber-corpse, the most terrifying zombie ever known. Zack barely survives the encounter yet manages to save a teenaged girl from becoming zombie chow.
Overnight, Zack’s exploits catapult him from zero to local hero. After the world’s sexiest job interview, a cable network offers Zack his very own primetime reality show. Hoping to save the family from financial ruin, he signs on the dotted line.
Yet Zack has no clue that network executives can be every bit as blood thirsty as undead, brain-hungry cannibals. The show is a smash hit. And with fame come the spoils: cooler clothes, better equipment, and an ultra-sexy sidekick named Sofia who wants to be co-stars with benefits.
Paychecks roll in, allowing Zack to provide for his family like never before. Yep, life is sweet for the Zander clan. But as Zack’s ego skyrockets, his family ties begin to strain. Zane wants more airtime. Dad wants the show to promote his new band—Love Missile. And Mom just wants to keep the family from killing each other.
In the midst of all this turmoil, Zack flirts with Haley, the hip nerd girl. Yet even this happy diversion is marred by a terrifying discovery—a paranormal link to the zombie outbreak.
To make matters worse, a new crew of zombie killers challenge Z-Gone’s TV supremacy, The Dead Patrol. They’re bigger, bolder, and better looking, like WWE superstars with samurai swords. Zack’s ratings drop like a severed zombie head. He quickly loses everything—his show, his family, his girl. Even his passion for zombie smashing takes a nose dive.
But this is no time for self-pity because an ancient evil has reared its ugly head, threatening to bring forth a hellish undead apocalypse.
Now, Zack has one chance to make things right. And all he has to do is kill a horde of flesh-hungry zombies and a stop the God of Death from destroying the world.
1st: Is there a Zombie apocalypse or are they just pests?
Brian: Pests for sure.
1st: Is Zack’s story a one-shot or will we see more of Zack?
Brian: The readers will determine if we see more Zack.
1st: In addition to Lady Death, Coffin has a new original character La Muerta.
Isn’t La Muerta, Lady Death in Spanish?
Brian: The translationis roughly ‘The Dead One” or The Dead Woman. What can I say? I specialize in undead heroines!
1st: Who is La Muerta?
Brian: A new breed of criminal stalks the barrios—the Zavalas, part death-worshiping cult, part crime syndicate. The seductive and merciless Gemma Zavala, aka Mama Z, heads the cartel. Anyone she can’t bribe or intimidate ends up paying the ultimate price as a human sacrifice in her Aztec rituals. Ruthless, blood-thirsty with influence far and wide, the Zavalas appear unstoppable.
Until they murder the wrong girl.
Returning home from the military, Maria Diaz was a beautiful young woman with a bright future. She wanted to be a social worker, to give back to the community she loved.
That dream died in a bloody instant.
Days before Dia de los Muertos, Maria’s brother betrayed the Zavalas. The cartel sought retribution and slaughtered the entire Diaz family, committing unthinkable acts of brutality in the process.
Maria, beaten and shot, crawled from the burning ruins of her family home only to succumb to her wounds.
But something brought Maria back. She was too pissed off to stay dead.
Now, under the harsh tutelage of her mentor Faustino, she hunts the Zavala Cartel without mercy. She claims the name Muerta and paints her face in the Mexican calavera style—a hauntingly beautiful skull.
Her weapons: fear, stealth, and cunning.
Her goal: to avenge her family and send the Zavala’s to hell, even at the cost of her own humanity.
In the tradition of Desperado and Death Wish, Muerta is a stylish, Mexi-Noir thriller with ferocious action to burn.
1st: Why isn’t La Muerta #1: Last Rites a number 2 issue, since it continues from La Muerta #1: Descent
Brian: I see each story as a chapter in a longer story, hence the #1.
1st: What does Coffin have planned for the remainder of 2016?
Brian: For the latest, visit: www.LadyDeathUniverse.com
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